SHORTS
CENTERS HERE, THERE AROUND THE U.S. NEBRASKA:
ARIZONA: Tucson bowling centers have gone from seven to five. Bedroxx Bowling is the second bowling center in under a year to close. Golden Pin Lanes closed after more than five decades. Remaining are: Fiesta Lanes, Lucky Strike, Tucson Bowl, Cactus Bowl, and Bowlero Tucson.
GEORGIA: In Valdosta, Jac’s Bowling Lanes reopened and then closed for a two-week quarantine after a person, who had been at the center, was diagnosed with COVID-19. Lowndes County experienced a leap in cases.
MISSISSIPPI: Depot Family Fun Center in Philadelphia, MS, is struggling with a decrease in foot traffic. The 27,000-square-foot facility includes bowling, a skating rink, restaurant, private bowling room, an arcade room, and an inside bar. Beverly Enterkin, owner, said safety precautions, including disinfecting bowling balls before and after use and spacing customers on every other lane are being taken. The staff is also deep cleaning the entire facility three times a day, every day, and checking customers’ temperature before entering the center. Spinners, which includes bowling, arcade games, a skating rink, and soon, a laser tag arena, in Florence, has reopened with safety measures in place. Staff members have their temperatures checked each shift and are provided with masks and gloves. Only eight of the 16 lanes are open for use, and designated staff clean and sanitize all equipment and seating areas after each use.
Michael Pirruccello’s West Lanes Bowling Center has been in his family a long time. As of September 2020, it will be 65 years. The pandemic has not been easy. He had to furlough his employees but with the help of the CARES Act and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), he has been able to bring them all back. “It’s been a little bit of a ride, but I think that it’s going to be alright,” Pirruccello said. The Big Apple Fun Center is open. Doing best practices, Kenny Owen, general manager, says that on odd days, they will use odd lanes, and on even days, they will use even lanes and no more than six people at a lane. By the fall, they expect to have their new indoor black light go-cart course completed.
OHIO: As part of Responsible Restart Ohio, bowling centers, along with miniature golf venues, were allowed to open May 26. However, Pastime Lanes is doing renovations and will open a bit later.
OKLAHOMA: Chuck Ford of Bartlesville’s Red Apple Center has turned adversity into an opportunity. When he was forced to close down during COVID-19, Ford looked at his to-do list and got going. He replaced the roof, installed new carpet and floors, upgraded the restrooms, and installed a new parking lot.
SOUTH CAROLINA: In June, the state continued to see a rise in COVID-19 cases. However, Governor Henry McMaster indicated he had no intention of closing down any more businesses. Still, The Alley in Charleston delayed its reopening based on the cases that had occurred in the Charleston restaurant industry.
BUSINESS & BOWLING Main Event is the U.S.-based arm of Ardent Leisure Group of Australia and has 44 centers. The chain recently received a capital injection of $80 million from the private U.S. investment firm of RedBird Capital Partners in exchange for a 24.2 percent interest in Main Event. RedBird will also have the ability to take a majority holding through an option for an additional 26.8 percent, exercisable between July 2022 and July 2024. Ardent Leisure chairman Dr. Gary Weiss said, “We are excited by this new partnership with RedBird which not only reinforces 18
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Main Event’s financial strength and liquidity, but also provides a value-added strategic partner who can help drive the company’s growth and expansion plans in the United States.” www Chris Morris, Main Event CEO, shared the Play Smart, Play Safe plan. “If you want to bowl, we’re going to take care of your bowling balls and take care of your shoes; you just show up, and you have fun. If you need more cleaning resources, we’ve got sanitation centers throughout the entire center for you.”
